Thursday, April 29, 2010

The ReGifting Store has grown so quickly that we are adding a second store to the downtown location. The new store will be located on Main Street and 7th in the Centurion building. In addition to celebrating our new location we will be having a 50% off sale at the MacArthur Blvd location on the 7th,8th and 9th!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

When I started volunteering at the ReGifting Store I didn't realize I would make such wonderful new friends. The owners of the store are Debra and Korry Holtzlander and they have quickly become two people that I love dearly. Here are some pictures of my husband, Keric after a couple days of Sturgeon and Walleye fishing with Korry.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

I'm not sure this is a moment that can be shared through a simple blog post. I don't think I can possibly capture the raw emotion, but here it goes....... Last week a gentleman came to me as I was working in the store and told me he had heard that we could help with free haircuts. He had walked from downtown Vancouver, where he was staying at the Share House. He had a job interview the following day and wanted to be sure he looked his best. I took him a couple doors down to Classic Clipper. (they have been donating their services to people who come to us in need). I asked the owner to give him a cut and shave and went back the store and asked Korry to make sure he had bus money to get back down to the Share House. That was the only interaction I had with him.

This week he came in and re-introduced himself to me and told me he wanted to volunteer some of his time at the store because he was so grateful for the haircut. He went on to tell me that he was humbled to have to ask for such a small thing, but he was grateful that I had not made him feel humiliated.

He got the job that he had interviewed for but found out that they could not place him in a Vancouver store and the opening was for a Tigard area store. His car had broke down and he couldn't afford the $140.00 alternator to fix it so he wasn't sure how he was going to start work on March 1st but was sure that somehow things would work out.

An hour after our conversation a man walked in to find out more about the the store and what we do there and how we help people. He handed me his card and said he had just opened up transitional housing for men trying to get back on their feet. He said the house is located in the Tigard area. I told him I would like to introduce him to a man I though he might be able to help out.

The two spoke for quite a while. He was invited to move into the home in Tigard bringing him closer to his new job.........

The man that came to us for help is a "church-going" "bible-reading" "scripture-quoting" type of man. He reads his bible daily, he prays and he attends church. He was able to find HOPE in the ReGifting Store. I have said before that I am not a church goer, nor am a bible reader, and I can't even quote one scripture from "The Book" but I can tell you that God had something in His plans that day and somehow I was able to be just a tiny part of it.

I am grateful to be at the ReGifting Store and be part of something bigger than I ever thought possible.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Februarv1 .2010Dear Regifting Store,My name is ************* and I work as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Vancouver'sWHO (Winter Hospitality Overflow) Program. WHO, a partnership between Share,Council for the Homeless, and more than 40 faith-based and community organizations,ensures additional shelter space for homeless men, women, couples and families fromNovember 1-March 31 and is now in its seventh year.We try to provide the shelter guests with more than just a place to sleep. One thing that seems to help ease stress and brighten peoples' faces is art-any kind of art -I came in to the Regifting Store to try and find supplies I could use for art projects with the shelter guests: things llke magazines for making collages.The Regifting Store is an incredible place! One of the guests at our family shelter, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, came in last week with business cards for the Regifting Store and put them up on the WHO resource board for the other guests. She ravedenthusiastically about the work you do. I thought you might like to hear how the wordgets spread.Thank you for your help!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Tomorrow will be a fantastic day at the ReGifting Store. We have 3 families that are coming to us because they have found places to live after staying in shelters and similar situations. I spoke with these people at the store over the past few days and told them to come in Monday when they have the keys and are ready to make their place a home. They are moving in with nothing but a few bags of essentials. We, as a community can change that. The ReGifting Store will be providing them with furniture, dishes, bedding, lamps, tv's, alarm clocks, food and anything else that will make their house a home. We will do this at no cost to the families. Your donations are greatly needed at the ReGifting Store to help make houses into places families can call home........

Sunday, January 24, 2010

I have never been a church goer. I've been to church for weddings and funerals but never sat through a service on a Sunday Morning, until today when I attended the service at Lord's Gym. I went to support a friend that I met at The ReGifting Store. His name is Don and he was speaking at the church today with his brother Bud.

Don spoke about his struggles with addiction for over 30 years of his life, the choices he made broke the hearts of everyone who loved him. He only loved his addiction. He has been clean for 6 months, I have only known him for the past 3. I have never known the man who chose drugs and alcohol over everything else in his life but I do know that the man he is today. He is a caring, hard working gentleman that I admire with all my heart for breaking through a life-long struggle and making the choice to change.

He will tell you that it was the help of his friend Korry and his beliefs in God that got him on the road to recovery.

I will tell you that it is people like Don, that inspire me to follow the heart of The ReGifting Store and "Above all else, Love one another".

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Through a generous donation from Bowers Steel, the ReGifting Store was able to expand into the office space next door. Giving us an additional 600 sq feet to be used as additional retail space. We are truly excited about the expansion and invite you to come see the new clothing corner!

My Journey......

The ReGifting Store is a non-profit thrift store dedicated to aiding those less fortunate. Follow me in my journey as a volunteer. I hope the stories I share with you will touch your heart and inspire you to be part of something bigger than you ever thought possible.